The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

Expert historian and librarian at the Statue of Liberty Monument and Ellis Island since 1988, Moreno has crafted the first comprehensive reference book about one of America's most familiar symbols. Offering entries from "Edmond Fran ois Valentin About," friend of Auguste Bartholdi (who sculpted the Statue of Liberty) to "Zoaves," the colorfully attired Civil War soldiers who marched through Manhattan in the statue's inaugural parade in 1886, this work is an intriguing compendium of photographs, facts, and statistics that purports to answer every conceivable question on this beloved monument. Each page is beautifully illustrated with reproductions of paintings, drawings, posters, cartoons, photographs, and documents integral to the statue's history, many of which are published here for the first time. (Although the illustrative material is identified, the source of the material is not.) Information in one entry encourages browsing in related entries, and there are many cross references. This work is full of fascinating facts. For instance, most readers are unaware that the model for the statue was Bartholdi's mother, Charlotte, or that the statue almost went to Boston. No separate bibliography is included, but the narrative under the entry "Literature" gives a brief, chronological history of major publications focusing on the Statue of Liberty or individuals closely allied with her, such as Bartholdi, Edouard de Laboulaye, or Gustave Eiffel. The extraordinary breadth of topics covered weaves a story of more than just a monument; the cultural and ideological circumstances of our nation are clearly and compellingly presented. Recommended for all public libraries.DKathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ., Normal
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

An attractive treatment, popular rather than research oriented, with numerous illustrations and A-Z entries from About, Edmond Francois Val entin (a friend of the statue's sculptor) to Zouaves (a unit of soldiers who marched in the Statue of Liberty inaugural parade). RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Wilton S. Dillon Senior Scholar Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution What Moreno has accomplished is unique. He has seized upon a single object -- the Statue of Liberty, the greatest tangible gift one nation has given to another -- and built a whole universe around it. -- Review

She needs no introduction. For decades, she's been the world's leading icon of democracy. Four million people visit her each year. She is the very symbol of America. But how well do we really know the Statue of Liberty? Did you know, for instance, that her origin dates back to Roman antiquity? Or that New York narrowly beat out Philadelphia for the right to house her? Or that her nose is three feet, eight inches long?

In time to celebrate Lady Liberty at the millennium, this gorgeous encyclopedia is sure to satisfy the countless requests historian Barry Moreno has received to deliver the first full-scale reference ever written on the Statue of Liberty. As its name implies, The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia promises to answer every possible question about our famous monument. Featuring an abundance of little-known but fascinating aspects and curiosities about the statue's history, the book also presents a vast collection of illustrations -- many never before published -- ranging from the amusing to the poignant to the pa-triotic. Stops on this visual tour include Betty Grable making a visit to the statue, antique autogyros flying overhead, and a gravity-defying glimpse of Liberty's spiraling inner armature.

The Statue of Liberty Encyclopedia is not just the history of one monument but the story of our nation and its far-reaching cultural and ideological roots. Elegant and eloquent, the book will stand as an emotional, educational, and entertaining testament to the statue's enduring significance.

Barry Moreno is historian and librarian at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. A frequent lecturer on the statue, he contributed to Ellis Island Interviews: In Their Own Words and appeared in ?On the Inside: The Statue of Liberty,? a Discovery Channel television documentary. He lives on Staten Island, New York.